New Britain is taking action against its former mayor, Erin Stewart, by revoking her pension and demanding $241,560 in repayment for improper payments made during her 12-year tenure. The city’s corporation counsel, William C. Rivera, outlined the demand in a letter to Stewart, citing an investigation by the Crumbie Law Group that found Stewart had improperly boosted her income through tuition reimbursements, severance payments, and legal costs.

Investigation Findings

The investigation, which was conducted at the request of current Mayor Bobby Sanchez, found that Stewart had made $207,076 in purchases on a city credit card, with the majority of these purchases being unrelated to city business. The city is seeking repayment for these improper payments, as well as $31,561 in tuition reimbursements and $102,294 in legal fees.

Stewart, who ended her campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in May, has made no public comments on the matter. The city’s actions against Stewart are part of a broader effort to address issues arising from her improper conduct, according to Rivera.

Pension Revocation

In addition to seeking repayment, the city is also revoking Stewart’s pension, which was calculated to be in violation of the city charter. The charter offers a pension equal to 50% of final pay to elected officials after 20 years in office, but Stewart had secured a partial pension for herself, which is not permitted under the charter.

The city is also taking action against former tax collector Cheryl Blogoslawski, who was notified that her pension, which was calculated in violation of the city charter, will not be honored. Blogoslawski had been promised a pension equal to 40% of her final pay by Stewart, but this promise was deemed invalid and unenforceable by the city.

Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.